Antique redbadge LiteOn SOHC-4832k drive is failing to burn 48x in third party burning application called eFilm v2.1.2 (medical data viewing software manufactured by Merge Healthcare (www.merge.com i believe)). In Windows, if you check the drive write speed it is set to Fastest, and the fastest speed you can manually set is 48x. On new Tayio Yuden (?) media rated 48-52x XP will burn with no problems, but I can't tell the actual burn speed. In eFilm, the burns fail after about 50mb set at 48x through 24x, but work fine if you burn at 4x. I'm burning full CD's between 600-625mb most of the time, but smaller datasets still fail in eFilm if they are over 50mb and set to burn faster than 24x. We assume that eFilm does not have as robust error handling capability as Windows XP and fails to burn the new media properly. 4x is not acceptable, and due to medical limitations, manufacturer of the media isn't an option. eFilm 2.1.2 cannot be upgraded for various reasons. Basically I'm stuck with new drive, or upgrade firmware.

In an attempt to get it to work with the new media, according to old threads in these forums, I should be able to sideflash the firmware to SOHC-5232k and get it to work. Downloaded the required softwares (ltnfw.exe, flashfix.exe/upx.exe, latest LiteOn firmware for SOHC-5232k) and first backed up the old firmware, installed the new firmware, and rebooted. Sure enough, it took, and when Windows came back up it sees the drive as a 5232k.

Problem? Now Windows drive properties write speed max is only 32x. Attempts to burn with eFilm at 48x also only burn at 32x (efilm is gracious to indicate what speed it is burning at). Hey, at least eFilm is now able to burn 32x on the new media! But, I've crippled the drive, and I thought that 5232k was supposed to support 52x burning?

History:
- backed up old firmware using ltnfw - dont remember the code but it was a 2003 version, OQsomething or other..
- downloaded 5232k-NK0J from LiteOn website (dated late 2006 I believe for "further media capability" according to mfr), passed it through flashfix, then loaded it to the drive - after reboot only burns 32x in XP/eFilm
- located an old 4832k-OPK8 dated somewhere around 2004 and uploaded with ltnfw, after reboot, Win XP only reports 32x as max write speed, did not test eFilm
- reflashed to my original firmware from 2003, XP still reporting max write speed 32x (no eFilm test as it didnt work before...)
- reflashed to 5232k-NK0J and XP STILL only reporting 32x max write, eFIlm still works at 32x
- checked DMA settings, its set to use if available, current mode is DMA, so it must be available
- uninstalled and reinstalled the drive/drivers in Windows - no help


So, questions as follows:
1) Where is the max write speed information stored? Firmware/drive? Windows? System BIOS?
2) Any way to force one of these to allow increased burn speeds of 48x and 52x?
3) why didn't reloading the original firmware allow 48x?


Assistance is greatly appreciated.

drew_ii